Allies rally to Olmert before war report

By Ari Rabinovitch and Rebecca Harrison

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A government-commissioned report is expected to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government over the 2006 Lebanon war on Wednesday but allies said he would not quit and ruled out a snap election.

"I tell you, there will be no elections," Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On, a member of Olmert's centrist Kadima party, told supporters late on Tuesday. "The prime minister is steadfast in this position. No pressure campaign will change that."

Defence Minister Ehud Barak, leader of Olmert's main coalition partner the Labour party, was quoted saying the prime minister did not bear sole responsibility for any failings -- a signal Barak may not heed calls from Labour members to bring down the government if the inquiry faults Olmert.

The five-member Winograd Commission investigating the conduct of the 2006 war against Hezbollah guerrillas presents its final report at a 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) news conference.

However, Olmert has already survived scathing criticism in the panel's interim report nine months ago and has made clear he does not plan to go now, however sharp the committee's comments.

Though unpopular and hampered by sleaze allegations, he has no clear, strong challenger within his party and his coalition partners are wary of triggering an election which polls show would be won by right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

A poll by Israel's Channel 10 television showed 58 percent of respondents want Olmert, who re-launched U.S.-backed peace negotiations with the Palestinians in November, to quit.

The prime minister has lost allies from his fractious coalition, but has vowed to stay in office, repair any faults found by the inquiry and press on with the most serious peace talks in seven years.